


Italiana

by ExoticGhosts



Series: Loki's Dating Disasters [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Awesome Frigga (Marvel), Awkward Dates, Closeted Character, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Drunk Driving, Drunk Loki (Marvel), Drunkenness, Fluff, M/M, Paparazzi, Poor Life Choices, Protective Frigga (Marvel), Sneaking Out, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 06:56:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13607985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExoticGhosts/pseuds/ExoticGhosts
Summary: Loki's been grounded. He wouldn't mind, usually, except that he has another date with Tony Stark. No matter what, he is not missing it. Not even if he has to sneak out and steal Thor's car. So he does. It kind of goes downhill from there, but hey. At least this wasn't a total disaster...





	Italiana

**Author's Note:**

> Hey look at that! The promised 3rd part of Loki's McDate Disaster! Only 3 months in the making!
> 
> Now, let me be real with you. I wrote, rewrote, and rewrote this chapter for a few weeks until i completely gave up. And then I started focussing more on my dark!fic. Which, by the way, is at 18k and counting and im really excited to share it when it's done!!! But while working on that, i came back to this. It was a relief to take a break from all that stuff and just write some fluff.
> 
> AS ALWAYS, I'm my own beta so please tell me if you see any mistakes!!! Kudos are appreciated and comments are even better! even if it is a critique, i would love to hear it!

One week. Seven days. One hundred sixty-eight hours. Ten thousand eighty minutes. Six hundred four thousand eight hundred seconds.

(Are you keeping up?)

In other measurements: one computer, taken. One phone, also taken. Two disappointed parents and one kicked-puppy-sad brother. One room to pace around in until dinner. One pickle-related puking incident. Four out of ten left shoes given back. And half a bag of stolen snacks eaten.

This was how long Loki had to wait.

But now it was here and Loki could finally have his proper date with none other than Tony Stark.

All throughout the week, he had found himself thinking about it. Thinking about where they would go, what they would do. He wondered what Tony would wear. How he would act. Because yes, technically they had already been on a date, but that was just… Loki liked to think of it as a stepping stone. A wall they had to break before they could go on a real date.

Call him an optimist.

It just so happened that Tony had handed him a note yesterday, with only an address and a time. 9 PM to be precise. The other boy had slid it into his palm when they passed each other in the halls. Loki had stared at it, stunned, before he looked back to see Tony wink at him and disappear into the crowd.

So here he stood again, in a deep blue shirt this time. His slacks still had lines from where they were ironed and folded. His hair was combed and pinned back with some decorative gold clips. Loki smiled at himself and exited his room with a confident stride.

Thirteen steps descended.

Thor was in the office with Jane. They were studying, but Loki could see that his brother was not interested in the curves of the graph. He rolled his eyes and continued his search for his mother.

Frigga was in the kitchen, standing dutifully over a thin sheet of dough. The counter next to it was scattered with already-baked biscuits. “Hello.” She looked up, cheeks smudged with flour, and she smiled at him. “Where’s Father?” He asked innocently. Frigga’s eyes narrowed instantly. Her eyes sparkling mischievously as she saw through her son’s ploy.

“He’s working late tonight. Why?”

Loki gave his best grin, growing wider when he saw Frigga relax. “I was wondering if I could borrow the car again.” She frowned. No, don’t do that! “Me and Natasha had arranged another date for tonight. It was already planned last week. Please?” Maybe it was bad to lie to his mother, but he didn’t particularly care. She figured his lies out eventually anyway, and she had come to expect them.

That probably wasn’t a good thing…

He could feel his mother slipping through his fingers as she wiped her hands on her apron. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Loki, but you’re still grounded. Three weeks.” She reminded him unnecessarily and Loki had to suppress the urge to huff and stomp. But he really wanted to.

Instead, he pressed his lips together and gave his eyebrows a twitch. “I had found a restaurant that reminded me of Re-naa. I thought she might like it. I don’t even have a way to tell her I won’t be there.” His eyes fell to the floor and-

Frigga sighed. Bingo. She turned around and opened a drawer before placing his phone on the counter and sliding it towards him. “You are to text her and tell her that you need to reschedule. That’s it.” She warned. Loki smiled and snatched the device off the counter. He didn’t even have Tony's phone number.

Already, Loki could tell that tonight would be a challenge. There was no way in Hel that his parents were going to let him out of the house. At least, not by the front door. But Loki refused to cancel this date. He wouldn’t miss this for the world.

Lacking his date’s number, he texted Thor instead. A quick message telling him to not say anything and to cover for him. Loki added a smiley face just because. With a quick swipe of his thumb, the evidence was deleted and Loki handed the phone back to his mother. “Thank you.” He said. He actually meant it. Frigga’s overwhelming love made it easy for Loki to get his way, even when he didn’t.

She nodded. With a quick glance around, she looked back at Loki through her lashes. “Would you like to help me with finishing these?” He wasn’t the only one who knew how to get their way. He glanced at the clock. He had time.

Loki helped happily, being very careful not to get any flour or milk or eggs on his nice clothes. He was happy to roll up his sleeves and knead the dough, cut it, cook it. Even now, as he excused himself back to his room, the sweet aroma of baked goods chased him.

Loki took the steps two at a time, dashing past the office where Thor and Jane were now attached at the lips. He wondered how much trouble his brother would be in if he told Mother. Frigga would probably just smile and then hire a different tutor.

It wasn’t worth jeopardizing his evening. Still, it made Loki smile at the thought as he shut the door behind him with a dull click. He stuffed his pillows under the blankets in a very Loki-esque shape. He shut off all the lights in his room and carefully made his way to the window.

It squeaked as it slid open. Loki cringed, glancing behind him, before placing his hands on the frame and pushing himself out. The tiles of the roof were rough against his hands as he (looking very dignified) crawled across the steep slope. He made it above the back porch in no time. Now came the hard part.

He twisted himself so he was feet-first, inching closer to the edge. He tried not to feel dizzy at the height. His heel bumped the gutter with a quiet bang and he cringed. He needed to be careful.

Loki maneuvered himself over the edge, grasping for dear life onto the lattice. His hands itched, the leaves of the ivy rubbing uncomfortably against his skin. Foot by foot, he climbed down. He glanced behind him just once before he jumped.

He landed light on his feet and rolled with the extra momentum. He stood and brushed himself off.

And now things got more challenging.

Luckily, since Odin wasn’t home, the garage was wide open. Loki sauntered in and checked each one of the cars. Thor’s Corolla was out of the question. It was loud, not to mention ugly. And Thor still had the keys. There also wasn’t a chance in hell that Loki was going to take the Cadillac. He wasn’t dumb enough to risk anything happening to Odin’s prized antique.

Glancing in the window of the Mercedes, the ignition was empty. The keys must be in Frigga’s purse. The Lexus was no different. Loki cursed and glanced around, eyeing every table or surface that the keys might possibly be on.

He couldn’t go back inside. He just couldn’t. He had gotten this far and he wasn’t about to give up. Sadly, he knew what he had to do. Loki cracked his knuckles, rolled his neck, and took a deep breath.

It was ten minutes later, puffing and flushed, that Loki had managed to push the disgusting Corolla all the way to the end of the driveway. He opened the magnificent gate at the front of the property without a sound. The metal rolled effortlessly on its wheels and Loki was climbing into the car. It smelled like fast food and sweat. Loki’s nose wrinkled, eyebrows drawing together as he tried to get over the scent.

He bit his lip. It was dark already. He could barely see. He reached under the steering wheel, grasping for something. He almost cried out when his fingers touched a wire. He sent up a silent prayer, thanking Thor for owning such a shit car. He reached down with his other hand, grabbing at the other wires. He fumbled for a moment, trying to figure out which wire went where before he finally managed to twist them together.

The car started with a purr. Albeit, an ugly purr, but a purr nonetheless. Loki scrambled to put on his seatbelt and turn on the headlights before he was pressing on the gas and shooting into the road. He checked the clock. It was 8:40.

Surprisingly, he drove with caution. He didn’t want to get caught. Loki refused.

He wormed his way along the roads he knew weren’t going to be clogged with traffic, reaching Hell’s Kitchen with ease. The restaurant was even easier to find. Loki made sure to park Thor’s Corolla a good block away.

He didn’t even want to be remotely associated with that abomination.

With just two minutes to spare, Loki parked the car, pulled apart the wires, and began walking towards the restaurant. The warm air carried the scent of garlic and cheese.

The door chimed when he walked in. The entry was pleasant, having a dark wood hostess stand, matched with a cream carpet and stark white benches. White drapes decorated nearly every surface and a golden chandelier cast a soft glow over everything.

And there, standing right in front of him, was Tony. He was wearing a dark navy suit with a blazing red tie. The subtle hint of facial hair had been trimmed into what might pass as a goatee. Cocking his head to the side, Loki could almost see how it would look good on him. Perhaps with age. Tony was looking at him as well. His warm brown eyes, framed with a forest of eyelashes, trailed up and down Loki’s form before meeting his gaze. He smirked.

“Hey, hot stuff.” Tony greeted and Loki tried not to blush. He looked down and adjusted his shirt instead.

“Good evening, Tony.” He said. The other laughed at his formality. He opened his mouth to respond, but a hostess interrupted. She guided them to their seat and placed the menus on the (white) table. Candles and flowers decorated the center.

Loki was about to sit down when Tony jumped in and pulled his seat out for him. Loki stared for a moment. Tony motioned for him to sit down. He did. They looked at the menu in relative silence, making a bit of small talk before the conversation lulled. The waiter came over.

“Can we have a bottle of Bruno Giacosa Rabaja Riserva, please?” Tony asked, pronouncing the wine name perfectly, rolling his tongue in just the right places. Three things crossed Loki’s mind in that moment, as he finished skimming the menu and looked at Tony.

One, Tony sounded nice when he said Italian words. Very nice. His voice dropped a bit, became both more smooth and more rough at the same time. Loki could even see the way his mouth twisted to say that. Loki would never be able to pronounce that as flawless as Tony had, what with his Nordic tongue.

Two, they are not old enough to drink wine. Loki is only 17 and Tony probably is as well, or maybe he was 18. That was also possible. Neither of them were 21, which was the legal age here in America. Loki wouldn’t even be able to buy alcohol in Norway. And yet, the waiter was writing it down without question and nodding along as Tony ordered an appetizer.

Three, the wine that Tony had just ordered was expensive. And yes, sure, everything in this restaurant was at least above the $50 price mark (minus the appetizers and some select drinks), but this… This bottle of wine that Tony had just ordered without a second thought was $1,300. For one bottle. Loki was by no means poor, but he and his family would never spend that much something so trivial. Why do so when there was a perfectly good wine that was only $70?

The waiter walked away and Loki continued staring at Tony.

“What?” The other boy asked, wrinkling his nose and smiling with confusion.

“Why did you get that wine?” Loki asked before biting his tongue.

“What? Do you not like it? I can get something else.” Tony made to turn and wave down the waiter. Loki snatched his hand and pinned it to the table.

“No! Why would you spend that much? Why not get something even a little cheaper?” He really needed to stop talking. Tony was staring at their hands, Loki’s over his own right in the middle of the table. He flushed. “Tony!”

“I wanted to get you something nice.” Tony said, still staring at their hands.

“And we’re not even old enough to drink, let alone buy it.”

Tony moved his hand on top of Loki’s, pinning him down in turn, demanding Loki’s attention. He tried to give Loki a comforting smile. “Yeah, and I’m rich. It doesn’t matter. I’ll pay the bill and they’ll take my money happily. It’s not a problem.”

Loki understood that. He knew that both he (in Norway, not America) and Stark both held power. They had a shiny name tacked on to their bodies as well as enough money to burn holes in their pockets. But Tony didn’t know just how powerful Loki was. So why go the extra mile? “It’s stupid to spend that much on a drink.” Loki bit, avoiding being honest with his feelings. And, oh, great, his accent was coming back, slurring his words as he spoke.

He really hated being bilingual sometimes. It was easy at home to mask his feelings. To pretend it was okay, that he wasn’t affected by what was going on. He didn’t have an accent in his native tongue. He didn’t stutter or pause when he lied or said something he didn’t mean. A biting comment said on instinct would sound just the same as anything else. In English, his accent gave him away. It became thicker whenever emotions were high, when he lied, when he said something he didn’t mean. He wondered for a moment if Tony noticed that yet.

The other boy gave him an odd look. Silence overtook the table. Tony was absently rubbing circles on the back of Loki’s hand. They were still there, in the middle of the table, and neither of them were pulling away. “I didn’t realize it would upset you.”

Loki’s eyebrows twitched.

Tony sighed. “I have a feeling you’re not going to share with the class,” He joked, “So let me. I’m trying to compensate for our shit date last week. I’m really not the best at this. I don’t know what I’m doing at all and it would be a lot easier if we communicated better. I should’ve asked what you wanted. I would have listened if you told me ‘no.’”

“I don’t mind the wine.” Loki mumbled. He really didn’t. It was Tony’s brashness that got under his skin. Tony nodded. They didn’t talk again until their drinks and appetizer came out. And, Loki had to admit, the wine was delicious. They snacked on the plate between them and sipped away. Each had had two glasses, Tony halfway through his third, before they even looked at the menu to order their main course.

Loki was starting to feel the familiar creeping warmth of the alcohol. He knew that it wasn’t good to be drunk on a date. It loosened his tongue. But because of that, it made talking to Tony so much easier. They talked about pets, parents. Tony had started asking him more about Norway and Loki was happy to answer. Oh, and alcohol made him extremely sentimental.

He cursed himself for being born with Frigga’s low alcohol tolerance. Thor and Odin could drink for days and still be sober. Not him.

Loki tossed back the last of Glass Number 3 when he felt Tony stiffen. He glanced up. He followed Tony’s gaze out the front windows of the restaurant. Just barely able to look past the glare on the glass, Loki stiffened as well.

Paparazzi had found them again.

Reality hit Loki in the back of the head. With a nail-ridden baseball bat. Not only was Odin and Frigga going to kill him for sneaking out, for stealing Thor’s goddamn car, for lying (although that wasn’t a surprise to anyone), but Tony could get in trouble as well. Maybe. If his parents weren’t okay with his sexuality. The conversation they had had in the tube in McDonald’s came back to him.

“Are you still in the closet?” Loki asked quietly, still staring towards the window.

“Yep.”

“Do they know you’re on a date tonight?”

“Nope.”

“Mine either.”

Tony paused. “Where’s your car parked?”

“We’re not taking my car.” Loki said immediately. It was too far away. Not to mention that Loki would have to hotwire it again. And it was a piece of shit. Loki would rather face his angry parents than have Tony see that car. Or get in it. Only one of those would be a good excuse and not make him look like an idiot. “It’s too far.”

“Okay. If you want to stay here or leave through the back, I can distract them-”

“No. We’re going together.” Loki wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet. Tony nodded. They both knew what came next. Tony stood up, trying to look casual so the paps wouldn’t notice. He took off his coat and handed it to Loki. Then, he dropped a nice wad of cash on the table. That was plenty for their meal and more.

Loki stood and took the coat without question, swallowing down the sudden lightheadedness as he stood up. He was drunker than he thought. Looking at Tony, he could tell that the other boy wasn’t doing any better than him. If Loki counted correctly, Tony had had one or two more glasses of wine than he had.

He grabbed Tony’s hand. They took off. Barging out of the front door, the paparazzi immediately took notice and started snapping pictures. Flashes of lights made his eyes ache as he strained to see. Loki yanked the coat over his face and took off in the dark. He caught sight of Tony’s car immediately, another expensive one with STARK plastered on the license plate.

Did he really drive another flashy car with his name on it?

Loki let go of his hand and sprinted, trying not to lose his balance as he stepped down from the curb. He turned back around and Tony threw him the keys without being prompted.

He yanked open the door to the car and slid into the soft leather seat, jamming the keys into the ignition. The car started with a much more attractive purr than Thor’s. Tony was in the passenger seat a moment later. The wheels squealed, smoking as they spun against the asphalt. Loki grit his teeth and pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

In just a second, they went from zero to 80 miles an hour, rocketing down the street. Tony whooped next to him. He whipped his head around to look back at the crowd of cameras. His hot, wine-moist breath clouded on the window.

Loki weaved expertly through the streets until they were a good few blocks away. He eased off the gas and the car gave a grateful rumble. Then there was a hand on his, barely touching him as he turned the steering wheel onto another road. His breath caught in his throat and he glanced at the other.

Tony’s cheeks were flushed from both wine and adrenaline. He gave Loki a crazed smile. “Don’t slow down.”

And with a face like that, who was Loki to say no? He lowered his head, squeezed the steering wheel, and slammed on the gas again.

They were back up to 80 in an instant. Tony’s hand dropped to Loki’s knee and squeezed. After a few more seconds, they hit 90. 100. 110.

Loki slammed on the breaks, ignoring the car’s screaming in protest as he jerked the wheel to the side and drifted into a turn. Tony gave a high pitched shout and laughed, the sound igniting something in Loki’s belly. Tony was having a blast and the younger boy wanted more. Coming out of the turn, they hit 120 miles per hour.

The city passed them in a roar of wind and car horns as Loki weaved in and out of the increasingly thick traffic. Lights flashed in his peripheral vision. It almost made him dizzy, his intoxication not helping.

After another risky turn, they entered the tunnel that leads out of the city. They were thrown into the disgusting yellow glow of the tunnel. The roar of the car and the wind became deafening in the small space. Tony had pressed a button, much to Loki’s confusion, and then he was climbing out of the sunroof. Loki tried to look at him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the road.

He was drunk, not stupid.

Tony stretched his arms out against the assaulting wind and whooped. He pumped his fists in the air and howled, throwing his head back and closing his eyes, looking like a feral angel. Loki was sad he missed it.

The car flew slightly as they exited the tunnel. It bounced back onto the road after a moment and Loki barely caught the sign that declared ‘WELCOME TO NEW JERSEY’.

He didn’t need the sign to know where he was. He knew exactly where to go. By some miracle, they passed no cops as Loki continued to make his way to their destination.

He turned onto a small road and finally let off the gas. The car drifted quickly. The speedometer sunk lower and lower by the second, Loki only pressing on the gas again when they hit 30.

Two lefts, then a right, then another right onto a pitch-black gravel road. It went up a hill, slowly getting steeper until the car’s wheels were grinding against the rocks. Loki stopped and put the car in park. Tony dropped back into the car.

He gave the other a breathless smile, still flushed and still beautiful with his wind-blown hair. Loki leaned back in his seat and stared. God, he was so gorgeous and so happy. Because of Loki. Because Loki took him on a thrill ride, racing and drifting through New York like a maniac. And Tony loved it.

“Where are we?” Tony asked.

Loki blinked, giving a subtle shake of his head to snap himself out of his thoughts. He opened the car door, sliding out and motioning for Tony to follow. He did.

They climbed the hill in relative silence. It was still steep for a while before it leveled out. Trees littered the flatter area. Tony gave a thoughtful hum, squinting at the faint silhouette of the foliage. Loki marched on, crossing the treeline without hesitation.

He was swallowed by the black in an instant. Tony gaped and sprinted after him, grasping for his hand. He finally found it and they tightened their grip on each other. Tony was careful to follow Loki’s footsteps, scared of what he might step on or trip over.

He trusted him, Loki realized with a silent laugh. His stomach did that thing again.

The crickets were loud, only drowned out by the slight crunch of twigs and leaves as the pair walked on. After a while, they finally broke free of the trees. They were on a bluff. Without the tree trunks shielding them, Tony could feel the cool breeze. He could smell the river.

Loki paused and watched him. Tony spared him a glance and then walked forward. The grass was incredibly soft. It was slightly damp from the already-forming dew. There was a bench nearer to the edge. Tony approached it and looked down.

It was a large drop, scattered with half-dead bushes and crooked trees whose roots fought to keep their hold on the earth. There was a part where it turned into sand, just a thin strip of it before it met the water. The Hudson River was dark. It sloshed against the shore lethargically, sinking back into itself after only a moment. Tony’s eyes trailed across the river, noting the lights that came from the city, reflected and shaking on the waves, before he raised his head. His breath caught in his throat.

The city they had just escaped, New York, stood blazing against the inky sky. The edge of the river was dotted with docks and large boats. Those gave way to the small, barely visible buildings on the waterfront. And then, what really stole the show, was Manhattan. It was blindingly bright, even at this distance. Skyscrapers upon skyscrapers were lit up. The Empire State Building stood proud against the rest, just as bright, but the top was illuminated with a rich green and fiery red, reflected back into the water. The whole city was a beacon, painting the sky around it a deep purple.

If Tony held his breath, he could still hear the noise of the city. Construction, car horns, sirens, and even the shouting of pedestrians. He looked back at Loki.

“This is beautiful.”

The other boy gave a soft smile and a nod. “I come here sometimes.” He said. The rest went unspoken. He came here when he was upset, angry, feeling particularly empty or sentimental. And damn, did alcohol make him sentimental. Sober Loki would have never taken Tony here, even if the other boy was his biggest crush.

Tony could tell it meant a lot to him. “How did you find it?” He asked softly, watching as Loki approached him and took a seat on the bench.

Loki shrugged. “I was mad at Thor one day. I grabbed the keys to the car and took off. I didn’t pay attention to where I was going. When I hit the hill, I was too mad and stubborn to turn around. I parked and kept going. And I found this.” Tony sat down on the bench next to him and watched.

The minutes past. A few lights flicked off. A few more flicked on. The city seemed to glitter. It was much prettier from a distance.

“Where'd you even learn to drive like that?” Tony asked out of nowhere. Loki chuckled.

“We went on vacation in Germany a lot, visiting relatives. When I started driving, Thor and I would drive on the Autobahn to get where we needed. It was just fun for us. We were young. Then we took a vacation to Italy the following year, and Japan after that. Thor and I managed to convince the director of the Grand Prix into letting us practice with the other drivers. And then we started drifting in Japan. It’s fun, sometimes, to go fast.” Drunk Loki said. His accent became thicker as he recalled the memories. Life was so much fun when they were still in Europe. Not so much here.

Still, he was glad. Without coming to America, he would have never met Tony.

“That’s fucking cool.” Tony admitted. “I wish I could drive in the Grand Prix. Maybe in a few years.” He laughed. Loki joined after a moment, imagining the other in one of the racing uniforms.

They fell back into silence. Tony reached over and laced their fingers together after a moment. Then he gave an insistent tug, pulling the other closer until he could feel Loki’s breath on his face. He cupped the other’s cheek and leaned in. Loki’s breathing stopped. Their lips barely touched each other, just ghosting over. Loki’s mouth parted.

Tony closed the gap between them, slotting his lips in Loki’s own, swiping his tongue across the soft flesh. Loki took only a moment before he kissed back, more consistent than Tony was. He opened his mouth farther, prompting Tony to push his tongue past those lips, exploring the other. His fingers twitched against Loki’s cheek. The other boy placed a hand on his leg and Tony shivered.

Just a few weeks ago, Tony didn’t even know that Loki existed. He was just another face. Another foreign student that had joined the ranks of New York’s diverse population. And then Thor had all but shoved Loki into Tony’s arms. He had to thank the guy, someday.

Their first date had been a disaster (his fault) and it was hard to try and get Loki to open up to him at first. And yes, maybe the alcohol had helped tonight, but that wasn’t all of it. Tony could tell the difference between being drunk-comfortable and happy-comfortable, and Loki was happy around him.

He was cute and hot and beautiful all at once; he was perfect. He was as cold as ice when he wanted to be, and burning like a wildfire when emotions got the better of him. He had the smoothest skin and the silkiest accent. Tony couldn’t get enough.

His fingers had just begun to tease at the hem of Loki’s shirt when a phone started ringing. Loki jumped, flinching away, and cursed. Lithe fingers fished into his pocket and he pulled out his phone. Tony squinted against the sudden brightness. The time read 1:42 AM. Had it really been that long?

Loki’s hands shook as he stared at his phone. It was his mother calling. Not only that, but it showed that he had missed four other calls from her. Looking at the top of the display, he could see that he barely had service here. Shit. He swiped the screen and held the phone up to his ear. “Hallo?” He didn’t want Tony to understand what he was saying if he was about to get yelled at.

“Loki.” Frigga greeted. Loki cringed. He swallowed thickly against a wave of nausea.

“Da?”

“I’ve been calling for hours! Where are you?” She demanded.

“Uh,” Loki glanced at Tony and found the other staring at him with a bemused expression. His head was tilted slightly to the side. “Ute?”

“You are supposed to be grounded.” She bit. Loki was going to respond, but she kept talking. “And yet, you snuck out! And stole Thor’s car, nonetheless! I had to drive poor Jane home! I had faith that you would at least be home before curfew, but it’s almost 2 AM! You’re lucky that your father didn’t notice!” And Loki had nothing to say to that.

He sighed into the phone and sunk down on the bench. “Beklager.” He apologized. He could hear her sigh on the other line.

“I’m just glad you’re safe.” She said softly. “You’ve never snuck out like that, Loki. And it’s so late… I was worried sick.” Her voice was trembling slightly, the way it did when she got upset and Loki felt a wave of guilt.

“Beklager.” He said again.

She sighed again. “Just. Come home. We can talk about this in the morning.”

He was in trouble. Big, big, big trouble. He nodded before realizing that she couldn’t see him. “Okay.” He said instead, switching to English like she had been speaking. Frigga offered a soft goodbye before they were both hanging up.

He tapped his phone against his thigh and stared back at the water. “Trouble?” Tony said. He nodded.

“We should probably head back.”

They stood wordlessly and began the long trek back to the car. At least it was easier going downhill. Tony offered to drive back and Loki gladly accepted. He took his place in the passenger seat and leaned against the window. He was starting to feel ill, the alcohol and anxiety coming back to bite him in the ass as he curled up in the seat.

Tony somehow managed to reverse down the hill, weaving along the gravel drive in the dark, and then they were back on the road. Tony drove the speed limit, thank god. Loki’s mood and energy dropped by the minute.

He was a bit confused when Tony pulled up in front of the Italian restaurant again until he remembered how exactly he had gotten to their date. He almost groaned at the thought of hotwiring Thor’s shitty car again. While drunk and exhausted too. “Could you drive me home?” Loki murmured. Tony nodded.

He gave directions as needed, guiding Tony back to his house. The other had stopped in front of the gate, assuming that Loki would want to walk up the driveway alone. They were both closeted and Tony wasn’t sure how much Loki would appreciate him driving straight up to the house. Loki didn’t care. Not at this point. He even blurted out the code to the gate, too tired to even consider if Tony would keep that information for later. (Not that Tony would try to sneak in and steal something.)

As Tony had guessed, there was a woman standing on the porch. It must be Loki’s mother, even though she looked nothing like him. Maybe a nanny?

He stopped in front of her and put the car in park, eyeing Loki’s house. It was more of a mansion. Loki didn’t move, only blinked. He was still curled up, forehead pressed against the window with an exhausted gaze. Tony got out of the car and walked to the other side, feeling too uncomfortable to even look at the woman.

He gave a soft knock on the glass, making Loki sit up lest he tumble out of the car as Tony opened the door. “Come on, sleeping beauty.” He said. He placed an arm around the other’s waist and dragged him out of the vehicle. Loki leaned heavily against him, hands groping until he had a solid hold around Tony’s neck. They turned to face the woman.

She was blond, with a narrow face and sharp cheekbones. That was where the resemblance stopped, however. Her honey-colored hair was a mess, thrown into a sloppy bun, and she was biting her nail. She forced her hand down to her side as she eyed the pair. “Loki?” She said, voice thick with worry and Tony could just barely make out an accent, just like Loki’s.

Loki jumped slightly as if he didn’t know she was there. He tried to straighten and push away from Tony but he only managed to sway dangerously. “Mother.” He tried to smile.

“Are you okay?” She asked. Tony frowned, feeling a little guilty that he was responsible for her panic.

“He’s fine. Just a little tired, I think.” He answered instead. The woman’s eyes flickered over to him.

“Who are you?”

“Uh, Tony. I’m a friend of Loki’s.” He tried to smile but it came off more strained than comforting. Blue eyes went from him, to Loki, down, then back up. There was a small spark of realization before the woman was nodding and coming forward to collect her son. Loki tried feebly to push her away but his eyes were starting to droop, his movements slow and uncoordinated.

She sniffed, “Are you drunk?”

“No.” Loki answered a bit too quickly. The woman pursed her lips. His head fell against her shoulder. Tony shifted from foot to foot. Her eyes swept around the yard.

“And the car?”

Tony answered that as well. “It’s fine, parked near a restaurant across the city. I’m sure you can get the keys from Loki and get it in the morning-”

“He hotwired it.” Blue eyes met his again. Tony gaped. “He’s grounded. He wasn’t supposed to go out tonight.” Loki grumbled, looking away as his face turned red. The idea that Loki would sneak out, going so far as to hotwire a car to go on a date with him was… oddly endearing.

They were silent for a moment before Loki’s mother nodded and made a movement towards the door. “I’m sorry.” Tony blurted. She looked back. “It’s my fault. I kind of forced him out tonight.” It wasn’t quite a lie. Tony really hadn’t given Loki a choice about when or where their date would occur.

She nodded. “Thank you for bringing him home.” Loki squirmed again, making an unusual sound as he curled against her. She and Tony smiled at each other. “Come on, Romeo.” They shared a laugh and then, “Goodnight, Tony.”

And just like that, he was dismissed. He waved and retreated back to his car, waiting for the pair to enter the house before he pulled away. He didn’t realize that he didn’t have his coat, that Loki was still wearing it, until he got home.

**Author's Note:**

> so uh, i dont think the ending conveyed exactly what i was going for.. but. there it is. and until im done with my dark!fic... perhaps a 4th part??? let me know what you think~~


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